


Love Maze

by PinkJinPls



Category: GOT7, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cute, Established Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V, Established Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Park Jimin, Established Taekook, Established Yoongi/Jaebum, Fluff, GOT7 - Freeform, Hanahaki Disease, It's just soft and cute okay, Jungkook Hanahaki, Lifeguard Namjoon, Love Maze, M/M, Namjoon Hanahaki, Namjoon just wants to fall in love, Namjoon/Jungkook/Taehyung, OT3, Polyamory, Read it for the kitty atleast, Soft Jeon Jungkook/Kim Namjoon | RM, Soft Kim Namjoon | RM, Soft Kim Taehyung | V, Taehyung Hanahaki, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love, Yoongi and Namjoon have a cute cat, art taehyung, bts - Freeform, so he does, soft, three way relationship, with taekook
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-01-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:55:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22390642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkJinPls/pseuds/PinkJinPls
Summary: Kim Namjoon is a lovesick lifeguard who dreams of being in love. He sits beside the pool day in and day out, trying to conjure up love stories that don't happen to him. Until Jungkook and Taehyung dive head first into his life and leave him floundering. One of them is cute, one of them is sexy, and one of them is making his heart flutter. But Namjoon discovers they're a couple, and brings up flower petals, a sign of unrequited love.Taehyung and Jungkook decide that they should both take Namjoon on a date to help the lifeguard find out who it is, but of course, it could never be that simple.(Or, Hanahaki Namjoon has a crush on Taekook but his meddling friends and cat get involved.)
Relationships: Im Jaebum | JB/Min Yoongi | Suga, Jeon Jungkook/Kim Namjoon | RM/Kim Taehyung | V, Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Park Jimin, Kim Seokjin | Jin/Park Jinyoung (GOT7)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 82





	Love Maze

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TwoTeaspoonsOfSuga](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwoTeaspoonsOfSuga/gifts).



> Here we go, it's a soft Namjoon-Taehyung-Jungkook.  
> For those who don't know, and to my understanding, Hanahaki disease is when a character falls in love but it's unrequited, flowers grow from the love in their stomach and then they bring up or throw up flower petals.  
> Enjoy. <3

It was a post-grad job that Namjoon had fallen into and yet ended up staying a lot longer than expected - in a good way. His lifelong friend Hoseok had suggested it to him over a bottle of soju one night after Namjoon had complained about how waiting tables definitely, _definitely_ , wasn’t for him. Namjoon enjoyed swimming, didn’t mind the bright yellow polo shirt, and most importantly, loved being sat outside watching families swim all summer. Throughout university, Namjoon had discovered swimming to be a great stress reliever, and after a short lifeguard training course, Namjoon was set in the position.

The outside pool through summer was happily busy, he occasionally had to blow the whistle for kids running along the edge, but nothing too dramatic had ever arose. When winter rolled in and the outside pool closed for the season, Namjoon happily to sat by the indoor pool and think deeply about all the poetry he wanted to write, but never got around to. Old ladies swam slow laps, chatting more than exercising, Mother’s held their babies close and smiled as they kicked and splashed, and Namjoon watched over everyone. The long summer had left his skin a gorgeous shade of brown and dusted his hair with blonde, and unknowingly to him, he looked like a model as he sat up on the lifeguard chair, with his long legs swaying happily.

After a hard day’s work, he’d meander through the markets, picking up fresh vegetables for recipes Seokjin had recommended he try – not that Namjoon would ever call himself a chef – stare adoringly through the window at the bookstore and then make his way home. He’d often be met by two cats, Kyon the four-legged kind, and Min Yoongi the two-legged kind; his flatmate and best friend. They would both follow Namjoon curiously into the kitchen, peering over his shoulder to see what he was cooking, and if they both blinked at him for long enough with bright eyes, Namjoon would cave in and feed them both.

“Hello Kyonnie! Don’t you look so pretty today? As always,” Namjoon cooed, his large hands fussing over the cat’s face.

Kyon the Burmilla purred happily, back arching, his crystal white coloured fur standing out against the dull, dark countertops of their shared kitchen. For a moment, all Namjoon could hear was the gentle purr and the scraping of Yoongi’s chopsticks against the bottom of his bowl – the jajangmyeon went down happily, and all without him burning it, Joon smirked – before the other gave a groan of annoyance. The chopsticks were practically slammed to the counter.

“Hello Yoongi-ah, don’t you look handsome today? Did you have a good day? Have you touched up your roots again? Gee, silver hair suits you, my dear flatmate.”

Namjoon straightened up, Kyon watching the male’s hands as they moved from the cat to hold the counter, back against the sink, looking at Yoongi at the quaint table. Yoongi was staring at him, bottom lip pouting outward, eyes dark and hair as pale as Kyon’s. Namjoon chuckled to himself, as half of Kyonnie’s charm was how he matched his owner, Yoongi.

“Why do you need me to tell you how handsome you are when you have Jaebum?” Joon chuckled.

Kyon balanced perfectly on the small strip of counter around the sink and nuzzled at Namjoon’s arm, to which the male complied, allowing his large hand to fuss over the kitty once more. Yoongi gave a groan, as Joon knew he would, before slumping onto the counter. He knew why Yoongi was being like this, and if he were in his best friend’s shoes, Namjoon was sure he’d act the same way. Yoongi had always been a lone wolf, happy to spend time with himself or a select few, until he’d came across an art student and fallen head over heels. Only, Jaebum studied art internationally in the rich cities of Italy, which meant he’d left a lovesick, and unemployed, Min Yoongi miserable.

“You should be happy! He calls and texts and facetimes at every moment, you’re so lucky to be in love,” Namjoon spoke, admittedly bitterly.

He reached for Kyon and held the cat in his arms, which made the kitty purr louder than before, but the tone obviously went over Yoongi’s head as his chin slumped into his palm and puffed out a breath. Namjoon watched him for a moment.

“It’s not enough, Joon-ah, I haven’t smelt him in so long…”

Namjoon frowned, not wanting to delve anymore into the strange subject that they were veering into and took a step forward, holding the cat in one arm, and collecting their used plates and cutlery with the other. Yoongi didn’t jump to help as he stared across at the microwave.

“He used to stand there and make me rice when I was hungry,” Yoongi sighed.

“He’s not dead, Min Yoongi! Jaebum will be back in Korea before you know it, so you better have a job by then, or he _will_ dump you,” Namjoon cajoled with a smile.

Yoongi simply grumbled and mumbled, swooping Kyon from Namjoon’s arms and shuffling back to wherever he had come from, either his bedroom or the sofa, and the lifeguard chuckled. He washed the dishes to the soft sound of late-night radio, before heading for a hot shower.

His flatmate was suffering somewhat, Namjoon knew, and that’s why he didn’t put up a fuss about Yoongi smuggling Kyon into his bedroom to sleep with. After he had showered, his skin smelling fresh from the mint bodywash Yoongi used devoutly, and stared at the blank word document on his computer screen for half an hour, he had switched off his laptop and sunk into his bed, staring at the ceiling. His pillows were fluffy, sheets cotton soft and mattress memory foam, and yet he felt so lonely in such a big bed.

If Min Yoongi was lovesick in one way, Namjoon was too, but in another. The lifeguard was lovesick with the fact he had never been in love. He sat in coffee shops and stared as couples walked by, hand in hand, whispering to each other and holding each other close, he wrote words of love as he though of the magic feeling of a soulmate and yet, he’d never come across anyone to fall in love with.

That’s why he could never sleep in such a big bed, because it lacked the warmth of another being.

➹➹➹

Namjoon had first noticed the two a few weeks ago.

He had just returned from his break, climbed into his chair and tried to remember if he had locked his locker or not – he hadn’t – when their laughter arose his attention. They looked the same age, same slender build, and yet looked as if they’d had contrasting personalities. The more muscled male had black, wavy hair that hung low past his eyes – Namjoon marvelled how he could even see – and wore a black vest and swimming shorts. He would barrel into the deep end with precision, be it a dive, bomb or even from being pushed in. The other was the one who laughed the loudest. He had copper coloured hair that would always be clipped back from his eyes, by a headband or a tiny ponytail, and constantly wore boldly patterned shorts with an overly baggy shirt.

They were grown, young men and yet the minute they touched the water they turned into children. Namjoon hadn’t wanted to stare at them, but they would just end up capturing his attention, splashing around, shouting to each other, racing from one end to another. He didn’t have the heart to blow the whistle at them when the copper-haired male balanced on the other’s shoulders, laughing loudly before they both fell backward under the water. They played for hours until Namjoon’s boss poked his head around the door, staring at Namjoon in irritation, for the lifeguard to realise it was ten minutes after the pool closing time and he hadn’t blown the whistle.

They came again the following week. Namjoon had been mentally plotting a possible screenplay about a struggling…someone doing…something, and they’d both jumped in with a couple of howls, splashing into the water with joy. Joon hasn’t thought about the screenplay since. Wary of the time, the lifeguard watched them once more, and after they showed up a third time a few days later, Namjoon began to feel soft feelings for them.

The one with dark hair was called Jungkook. It had taken Namjoon a while to figure that out as the other simply called him variations of it, before eventually shouting ‘ _Catch me, Jungkook-ah!_ ’ and flailing into the pool like a salmon. Jungkook was very strong, very cute, and even more competitive. He won all the races, be it forward stroke, breaststroke, or ‘who can jump in the farthest?’

The copper-haired was called Taehyung. Namjoon had learnt his name first because the male was always on edge of doing something he shouldn’t – again, the lifeguard probably should have blown his whistle at him – like seeing if he could do backflips into the deep end, or simply just jumping onto Jungkook at any chance he got. He was clingy and touchy, would make Jungkook carry him on his back instead of swimming, and his overly large shirts would float like balloons in the water. He could also hold his breath for an absurd amount of time.

On one of their frequent appearances to the pool, a very wet Taehyung had hauled himself from the pool and waddled along the edge until he reached the lifeguards chair. Namjoon had glanced down at him, eyes wide in bewilderment and confusion, watching the copper boy knot his hands together and smile innocently.

“Jungkook keeps cheating,” he blurted, as if Namjoon should know what he was talking about, and at the blank look on the lifeguard’s face, Taehyung started again, “We’re trying to find out who can swim faster without kicking our legs and Jungkook keeps saying he’s winning but I don’t trust him. Would you be the judge?”

The pool was empty. Namjoon didn’t have any excuse not to, not that he could think of anything anyway, and dumbly nodded at the boy.

Taehyung whooped and waddled back to where Jungkook was, cheering and chattering, before pulling the other out. Within a moment, they had both found themselves at the pool edge in diving positions – even though they _all_ knew that Taehyung definitely couldn’t dive – and they both looked up at Namjoon with excited faces. The lifeguard heard himself blow the whistle before he could think about it, and off they went.

It was a slow race, obviously, as they both refused to kick their legs and use only their arms. Jungkook’s dive had been smooth and executed, and yet it was Taehyung’s hearty belly flop that had him hitting the water first. There was a slight scuffling, Jungkook would reach over and push at Taehyung’s forehead if they got too close, or if the other got too ahead, and if Namjoon had the emotional strength he might have blown the whistle for cheating. But, he watched them diligently, a mother to her ducklings, smiling to himself at the fun they were having, before the race was over and they both popped their heads from the water and looked at him expectantly.

“It was me! I win again!” Jungkook bellowed loudly.

Taehyung frowned and splashed at him, before swimming across toward the lifeguard. Jungkook followed suit, smiling smugly. They reached the edge of the pool where Namjoon’s chair was, and both looked up at him, droplets falling down their faces, catching up on their breaths, and odd strands of hair sticking to their faces. Namjoon had to swallow and recover himself from the sight in front of him, because they were a lot less cute, and a lot more gorgeous up close. They just stared, waiting, smiles and quiet laughter lingering on their lips.

“I, err,” Namjoon groaned inwardly at how he sounded before collecting himself, “In my professional, lifeguard opinion, Jungkook won. But only by a little bit, it was a very close race.”

Jungkook’s arms were thrusted in the air, his body submerging then bobbing back up due to the depth of the water, a smile plastered across his face. Taehyung grumbled and pouted, staring across at the winner, his brows meeting in the middle as Jungkook began to cheer.

“You gotta sing the loser song!” Jungkook crowed, his voice echoing around the empty pool.

Taehyung splashed him once, but Jungkook only stared at him more determinedly, and so Taehyung floated away from the edge and treaded water. His arms began to fling about, and his low voice grumbly sang a song about being a loser, and Namjoon could only swallow and watch as his heart began to beat. They both looked so sweet, and fun, and lovely as they swam and teased each other. Taehyung went to splash Jungkook, but the stronger caught his wrists and made the copper boy pout even more, before he blinked and looked up to Namjoon. The pout slipped into an enchanted smile.

“Hey, you know our names!” Taehyung exclaimed.

A look flashed across Jungkook’s face, realisation, before he turned to look at Namjoon with a curious smile, still gripping onto Taehyung’s wrists. Taehyung didn’t seem very phased about that, Namjoon acknowledged, before anything else.

“I’m sorry,” the lifeguard started.

“Don’t be!” Jungkook blurted with a grin.

“You both come here a lot when I’m working,”

“We like swimming!” Taehyung interrupted this time.

“I, er,” Namjoon internally scolded himself again, “You both shout to each other a lot. You always want Jungkook to catch you, and you always want Taehyung to watch you do handstands.”

There was a strange silence as they both looked up at him with those sweet smiles and Namjoon felt every shade of embarrassed.

“I pick up a lot of people’s names, like, like Yuna-ssi, a middle-aged lady, she always talks about her divorced husbands and never gets her hair wet.”

Namjoon didn’t know why he was word vomiting but he wished he could stop. There he was, sat up on his lifeguard seat, craning his neck down to these two, cute puppy-type humans who were floating and looking up at him with such fascination. He couldn’t decide who was cuter, they were both absurdly cute for different reasons, reasons he could quite easily list in his little notebook on the bus home if it wasn’t such a weird thing to do.

“Cute,” Taehyung simply spoke, eyes twinkling.

Mischievous, they both looked mischievous, and it made Namjoon’s heart swell against his ribcage. His palms even felt like they were going to sweat a little. Were they already sweating? Maybe, big, fat, very possible maybe.

Across the pool, the doors swung open and Eunwoo walked inside, lifeguard uniform and flipflops on his feet, mop in one hand and bucket in the other. Eunwoo was on clean up duty, and if he was cleaning it meant – Namjoon looked across and glanced at the time – he blew his whistle. Eunwoo smiled and saluted from across the pool as he began to mop around the edge, and Namjoon glanced down at the two boys.

“Time for you two to get going, its closing time,” Namjoon smiled, still feeling all bashful for some reason.

With a blink of his eyes, both boys had hauled themselves from the pool and were plodding away from him, heading to the changing rooms and talking animatedly about tteokbokki. Namjoon knew he should have looked away, but he couldn’t, especially when Jungkook peeled off his shirt and revealed his creamy skin, and every rippling back muscle he owned. When they disappeared through the doors Eunwoo had arrived through, Namjoon slowly climbed down from the chair and gripped for his water bottle, feeling very, very weak.

➹➹➹

Jung Hoseok’s laugh was so loud and hearty that Namjoon thought it would stop Yoongi’s slump for one night atleast, and it was working. Hoseok and Joon had met at university, although on different courses, they both met through mutual friends and Hoseok was such a happy, chatty spirit that Namjoon had bonded with him easily. The three had lived together in their final year of university, before Hoseok had moved out into his boyfriend Jimin’s place. Their night had started out at a street bar, for a beer and some fried chicken, but after some soju, Hoseok had summoned his boyfriend’s presence, and from there they had both demanded to see Kyon.

So now, the four were sat in Namjoon and Yoongi’s living room, nursing beers and passing around noodle cups. Kyon sauntered from one male to another, whoever wasn’t laughing or talking and could give him the attention he needed, purring under their soft touches. His pale fur made Jimin’s pink hair look even pinker as he sat in his lap, straining his head to nuzzle Jimin’s chin.

Yoongi sat on the floor in some comfortable jogging bottoms and a hoodie, a black cap over his silver hair and a beer in his left hand. The right was hovering over his phone subconsciously, ready at any moment for a call from his artsy angel. Namjoon sat across from him, twiddling with a beer cap as he listened to Hoseok chatter excitedly on the sofa, Jimin between his legs. The TV was playing a music channel in the background as ambience, and amongst the chatter, the bubbling of beers and slurping of noodles were comforting sounds.

“As much as this topic excites me, there’s something else we should be talking about…right Namjoon?” Hoseok chuckled with a devious look settling into his soft facial features.

Namjoon immediately looked up from the bottle cap and met his gaze in a slight confusion. His current mind was beer and food flushed, thinking only of street food, laughing about Yoongi’s despair and then the lively drive here in Jimin’s car. Was it merely his turn to be teased?

Yoongi halted tapping his fingers across his phone screen and rose an eyebrow, Jimin mirrored the expression, his small hands still combing down Kyon’s back. Hoseok sat between them both like Hades, grinning ruefully at the lifeguard’s expense.

“I just so happened to glance through the gym window and saw Namjoon,”

“Spied,” Jimin quickly intercepted with a smile, “You spied on Namjoon as the gym went quiet.”

“Fine, when I spied on Joonie today, I saw him talking to a couple of very, very cute guys!” Hoseok finished excitedly, “They both seemed so into you, as well, Joonie! I haven’t seen them in the gym before but I’ve happened to see them in the pool,”

“How often do you spy on Namjoonie at work?!” Jimin blurted with a fun smile on his face, looking up at his boyfriend.

For a moment as they both playfully bickered, Namjoon was a little confused. He pinned it on the beers and his rather full stomach, but then he realised what – _who_ – his friend was talking about, and immediately blushed. He felt how his cheeks flushed and just knew his ears were doing the same. The lifeguard gave a groan, confirming everything that Hoseok had said, and suddenly Jimin and Yoongi were both leaning forward in excitement, glancing between Joon and Hoseok like kids at Christmas.

“How come you never tell me anything!” Yoongi immediately whined, causing Namjoon to look across at him.

“Are you telling me if I’d have barged home, ran up to your sorrowful nest of a bedroom and said that I’d met two cute guys at work, your first reaction wouldn’t have been a moan because you haven’t heard from Jaebum in ten minutes?” the lifeguard replied before taking a long, somewhat successful, sip of his beer.

Yoongi rebutted, glancing to the floor as if he were a gif that wasn’t working, before he gave a long sigh and a shrug of his shoulders.

“Nothing from your mouth seems to interest me anyway,” Yoongi mumbled truthfully, which only caused Namjoon to smile affectionately.

The lovesick male glanced to his phone once again before giving the cup noodles his attention. Namjoon chuckled with the shake of his head, his elbow finding the coffee table and his chin his palm, before glancing back to Hoseok and Jimin. He could feel them both stare at him incredulously. Thoughts of Jungkook and Taehyung flickered through the lifeguards mind and a sweet, dazed look fell across his face, making the tall, broad male look sweet and soft in his teal, woollen jumper.

“Hobi’s telling the truth!” Jimin spoke up excitedly, clapping, “Tell us about him!”

“Them,” Namjoon blurted, truth and fact in his voice, “I honestly think they’re both the sweetest, loveliest boys I’ve ever met…but I know nothing about them.”

The vocal admission was enough for it to set into stone in Namjoon’s heart, and mind, Taehyung and Jungkook had captured his attention and now he had a hell of a crush on them both.

“So…there isn’t one that you like just a little more than the other?” Jimin asked slowly, but with care, a non-judging tone.

Hoseok was waiting for the lifeguards answer and even Yoongi had looked up from his phone, his dark eyes glancing across Namjoon’s face as if he was reading the words in his mind before he could even formulate them.

“No, they’re both just so…” Namjoon paused, Kyon mewing up at him, “Perfectly pretty in their own ways.”

He smiled to himself, knowing his friends were watching him but not caring, as he softly stroked over Kyon’s head. The kitty purred and nuzzled into his warm palm, and Namjoon knew that from that point, there was absolutely no going back.

➹➹➹

Namjoon didn’t end up seeing either of the boys for almost a whole week after his realisation and his poor heart didn’t know how to feel. He practically jogged to work and was sat in his lifeguard chair ten minutes before every shift. One morning, he had still had his coat on, and it was Eunwoo testing the water levels that had noticed and told him, worried the boy had a cold. With every squeak of the door, his head would whip around in hopes that he would spot them, Taehyung skipping inside, tugging at Jungkook’s wrist and chatting animatedly about something or other.

But for days there was no sight of them. Namjoon even caught Hoseok peering down from the gym window more than once. It felt like waiting for Christmas, until one afternoon, while Namjoon gave a long, slow yawn, the door creaked and the excitable patter of feet sounded. The pool had been busy all day with children’s swimming lessons, and with the exception of some retirees swimming laps, Taehyung and Jungkook skipped along the edge, egging each other on. Jungkook gave a push and in Taehyung fell with a laugh, before the other dived in beside him.

And suddenly everything felt happy and well and exciting but also very nerve-wracking. Namjoon felt as if he should constantly expect something but he wasn’t sure just what to, or why he should expect anything. He even glanced up to the gym window but Hoseok wasn’t there which made Namjoon feel on his own. His palms definitely were sweating this time. He watched them for an hour as they played and splashed, he tried not to make it obvious, or smile or laugh whenever he heard them joking around.

Today, Taehyung was wearing a pair of bright yellow swimming shorts and a matching yellow headband, a baggy band top over his torso, whereas Jungkook wore nothing but some dark red swimming shorts, a little tighter than normal, his hair down, wet in front of his eyes until he pushed it back. It was like they were trying to make the lifeguard feel like this, breathless and wordless. The retirees left the pool one by one, and soon enough it was just the two boys, splashing about, jumping in and calling after each other. There was nothing else for Namjoon but to watch.

He kept wondering if they were going to have another race, if they’d need his judgement, but apart from the odd friendly smile there was nothing. Namjoon glanced and saw that there was ten minutes left of pool time before it had to close, and so slowly climbed down from his chair. He gave another glance to the gym window, Hoseok may have been busy teaching classes or working out with his personal training clients, before taking a drink from his bottle. The lifeguard had had an itchy throat all week, and no number of lozenges or hot honey drinks could soothe it. There were splashing sounds, and suddenly the two boys were floating by the edge, looking up at him with little smiles. Namjoon felt a little speechless all of a sudden and was glad that Taehyung spoke first.

“Hello! Is it almost time for us to get out?”

“I er,” Namjoon internally screamed at himself, “Yeah, pool closes at six, as normal. Have you both…had a good swim?”

Taehyung smiled sweetly as Jungkook chuckled. Namjoon didn’t know which made him suffer more. He itched at his throat.

“It’s the best part of the week,” Taehyung spoke with a sweet smile.

“We’ve been trying to work out if kissing makes you better at holding your breath,” Jungkook announced suddenly.

Namjoon could only blink dumbfoundedly in response. He heard himself say ‘What?’ but it hadn’t been intentionally processed by his brain. He had a rather high IQ and yet at times like this he thought that maybe the test had been wrong.

“Well, you don’t really think about breathing while kissing, and so we thought if we get real good at kissing, maybe we’ll get better at holding our breath for longer,” Taehyung explained as if he was a scientist.

As he clumsily climbed from the pool, in his matching yellow trunks and headband, he looked anything but. Jungkook followed suit and Namjoon had to will himself to look anywhere but the male’s torso and the way his skin looked so smooth and his abs appeared sculpted _and Namjoon was definitely staring at them_. He whipped his head around to look away so fast his neck clicked, and he rubbed at it more. His nerves were making his throat feel even worse.

“We’re both pretty good at kissing,” Jungkook smirked, looking across at Taehyung with a hungry look, “But Tae is still better at holding his breath than me.”

Taehyung laughed – more accurately, giggled – and they both looked over each other hungrily. Namjoon looked between them both before the lightbulb switched on in his mind and he realised, they were boyfriends.

Of course they were boyfriends!

They giggled with each other, chattered, whispered closely, hugged, clung to each other like limpets, chased after the other like puppies in love, hell, they’d probably even kissed but Namjoon had simply not seen it. It all hit him like a brick in the chest, the two cute, happy boys he couldn’t get off his mind were in love with each other.

“You never told us,” Taehyung started but it was too late.

Namjoon was hunched over in seconds, one hand on his stomach, the other hand under his mouth as his throat gave way with a terrible itch. Yellow daffodil petals fell, dropping into his other hand, onto the floor between them and then onto the surface of the pool. They floated sweetly, looking ever so pretty against the light blue of the water, and as Namjoon slowly stood back to his full height, his hands shaking, Jungkook and Taehyung’s jaws dropped open.

“Maybe we should all…talk?” Taehyung asked quietly.

➹➹➹

The coffee shop they were in was bustling with people leaving work for the day and convening for caffeine. Businessmen still shouting loudly on phones hovered in a long queue, school kids chattered loudly and hovered around joined tables, you could barely drop a pin in the place, which was why Namjoon was stuck on what seemed like the tiniest table, stuffed in a corner against two walls, with Jungkook and Taehyung opposite him.

It would have seemed like more of a sweet dream than a nightmare had he not just hacked up flower petals all over the bloody pool – in front of them both.

And now they were both looking at him with a soft pity that made the lifeguard feel even worse. He was older, and taller, than both of them and yet _he_ was the one they were looking at as if he needed all the tender loving care. It made him groan internally and wish that maybe he hadn’t agreed to this. Bringing up petals was embarrassing enough, but to do it in front of the one – or two – people you like is even worse, because then they know you like them, and they can’t do anything about it.

Namjoon dropped his attention back to the dark wood of the table and tapped against it with his fingertips as a distraction from fiddling with his damned sleeves. He stunk of chlorine and he wondered if the old ladies at the next table could smell it as well, because he knew Jungkook and Taehyung definitely could. When he sneaked a glance up at them, they were still going, a mental conversation as they stared at each other, Jungkook glancing at Namjoon suggestively and then back to Taehyung, to which the other would nod his head in the same way. The lifeguard despaired even more.

“Maybe this was a bad idea,” Namjoon started slowly.

“No! Noo…” Taehyung intercepted with a Motherly tone.

Jungkook glanced at Taehyung with a ‘really?’ Namjoon’s hand went through his hair at the sound of it. If they kept looking and talking to him like that then he was literally just going to get on his feet and leave, barge through the line of businessmen and sprint it home. He’d rather deal with a lovelorn Yoongi and hungry, fussy Kyonnie then this.

“Tell us about yourself!” Taehyung went on with a trying smile.

“Aish, Taehyung this isn’t alcoholics anonymous,” Jungkook grumbled before sucking on his straw.

Taehyung sent him a pout and a frown.

“I was trying to tell you that _you_ should start this conversation, but you kept looking at _me_! I can’t do serious!” Taehyung whined, and suddenly, they were off, and it was like Namjoon wasn’t even at the table.

“This doesn’t have to be serious, the less serious this is, the better. That’s why you should have spoken about something like conspiracy theories.”

“Why are you always wanting me to talk about conspiracy theories? You’re the one who watches those hour-long YouTube videos about them! You want me to bring them up, so you don’t look weird!”

“Look me in the eye and tell me Hitler wasn’t abducted by aliens and frozen cryogenically. Look. Me. In. The. Eye, Taehyung!”

“Why would aliens waste time on our boring planet when there’s a whole galaxy out there with bigger, better planets to explore, with much more entertaining beings on it!” Taehyung hissed as his fist clenched angrily on the table.

Namjoon blinked in confusion, at how two young men could get so angry about things that seemed so…different?

“Why would aliens want to abduct a tyrannical dictator?” Namjoon blurted, breaking the Tae-Kook bubble.

They both glanced across quickly and stared at him, and a slightly sad look flickered through their eyes. Namjoon swallowed.

“They could take Albert Einstein instead, or Steven Hawking? Surely that’s why scientists disappear and never end up growing old, because aliens take them to improve the other planets and galaxies…” the lifeguard continued before smiling.

Taehyung and Jungkook were silent for a moment, staring at Namjoon as the noise of the coffee shop rose above them, and then off they went again, but excitedly, and Namjoon was part of it. The two began to chatter excitedly about aliens and science and other theories that Jungkook tried to shoehorn in. That’s how the conversation flowed, and for a good while Namjoon forgot about everything else, until Jungkook chuckled, leaned across and pecked Taehyung’s cheek after the latter had said something particularly sweet. Namjoon’s throat began to itch a little bit, his hand going to his mouth, the unrequited feeling of petals gathering once more.

Taehyung gently pushed his boyfriend away the moment he saw, and Jungkook grabbed an A4 coffee menu and held it up so Namjoon was hidden away from sight, and all Namjoon could do was gently open his mouth and attempt to catch the daffodil petals in his hands or lap.

“I’m sorry, we’re sorry! We’re so sorry…” Taehyung slowly stopped, offering a napkin over to the lifeguard.

“Namjoon,” he spoke quietly, one final petal getting caught on his bottom lip.

Taehyung and Jungkook looked at him so sadly, the dark-haired male reaching across to take the petal from his lip as Taehyung opened the napkin to gather the petals into. Namjoon sat there feeling like a toddler once more and hadn’t felt so close to tears until Taehyung spoke up again.

“One of us should leave, we’ll understand, Namjoon-ssi,” Jungkook spoke with assurance, looking deep into his eyes, “Who is it you like? We won’t be angry, we’re not…not like that.”

Taehyung nodded and smiled sweetly. Jungkook looked at him with caring, sparkly eyes. Namjoon sighed and glanced at the table.

“I don’t know,” Namjoon whispered meekly, “I don’t know who it is…”

There was a short silence and Namjoon just didn’t have the strength to look up from the table, and was hoping – praying – that he’d hear the scraping of chairs and they’d just leave without a word and possibly find a different pool to swim in. But of course, that would be too easy.

“Two dates,” the copper haired boy declared, “I’ll take you on a date, and then KooKoo can take you on a date. That’ll be the best way to find out which of us is who you like and then we can go from there!”

Namjoon looked up and almost gasped. They were both still staring at him, but so sweetly and so earnestly, that it took his breath away. He was sure that they were quite possibly holding hands under the table but at this point he’d huffed up so many petals he might not have been embarrassed if he brought up anymore. Scrap that, he definitely would.

“B-but you’re boyfriends? Is that really something you’d want to do? We could just all walk away and drop this and,” Namjoon began but was interrupted.

“That would be horrible of us to do. We’re somewhat the cause of the petals and so we should atleast…” Jungkook trailed off and looked to Taehyung.

“Make sure you’re alright,” the copper boy finished, “So would you want to? Go on dates with each of us? My boyfriend is pretty suave…”

Jungkook giggled and shoulder bumped Taehyung.

“TaeTae always has the cutest, quirky dates!” the dark haired cooed.

They both went to lean in but stopped as if they could tell Namjoon’s throat would begin itching once more. Namjoon laughed weirdly, because he wasn’t sure why he was laughing, if he should laugh, but the whole conversation was so unexpected and out there that the lifeguard had no idea how to react. How was he even supposed to relay this to Yoongi, or Hoseok and Jimin? He could already see Yoongi’s eyebrow rising above the other judgingly and it made the back of Joon’s neck sweat.

But then he could imagine how his friends would react if they knew about the petals, if they’d give him the same pitiful, weary look that Taehyung and Jungkook had done. If he couldn’t bear the way that they had looked at him, then how could he deal with his closest friends doing the same?

So Namjoon took a chance.

“Okay,” he blurted, swallowing and looking at both of their faces, “I’ll do it. Let’s…date.”

➹➹➹

Kim Seokjin’s octaves were rising and falling loudly throughout the flat and Namjoon already felt exhausted. He was meeting Taehyung at the Seoul Museum of Art – the lifeguard was already very excited at the prospect – in an hour. He was freshly showered; his hair was softly slicked back and now he was stood looking at the array of clothing that Seokjin had brought over.

Word of Namjoon’s two, first dates had spread like wildfire.

Yoongi had laughed loudly and been cajoling cheesy chat up lines at him all week. Even Kyonnie seemed to join in on the fun, mewing from Yoongi’s lap and whipping his tail around in jest. Hoseok had been the worst, all week at work he had pranced around the gym window, throwing out exaggerated kisses, waltzing on his own, and at one point appearing with what looked like flowers made from paper towel. Namjoon couldn’t help but wonder how Hoseok had even had the spare time to do it.

Jimin had been sweet but a little overbearing, constantly asking who the lucky guy was, just for the sole reason of googling either Taehyung or Jungkook so they could all find out more about them. Jimin had even offered to bring over his beauty kit to give Namjoon a slight makeover, but sensing the pink eyeshadow and sparkling cheek glitter that would ensue, the lifeguard persuaded him otherwise. Word had even reached Italy, and Jaebum had been sending cheerful gifs and good luck texts to Namjoon all week, which Namjoon appreciated. He missed having Jaebum around to kick Yoongi up the backside whenever he needed it.

Once word had reached Seokjin, it was game over.

“You work as a lifeguard, plod around parks for a hobby and go to the supermarket in old jeans your grandmother brought you five years ago, if you think for a moment that I, Kim Seokjin the third,” Namjoon and Yoongi exchanged a confused look, “Am going to send you off on a date in some cargo pants twice the size of you, a woollen jumper and some prison guard boots then I will go myself in your place!”

And that had been that.

Seokjin had arrived the minute he finished work for the day and barged into Joon and Yoongi’s flat, his arms full of suit carriers. He was a larger than life, high profile estate agent, which came with big financial perks and bigger client relations. Yoongi had immediately burst into laughter and settled into the armchair, front seat for the upcoming madness. Namjoon had insisted that he wasn’t going to wear a suit for a first date to a museum, he didn’t want Taehyung to think he was a weirdo, and then go back to Jungkook and tell him the same. It was going to be smart casual, and that was that.

“You need to make a good impression, Namjoon-ah! No one wants to date poetic lumberjack bears,” Seokjin had grumbled, thrusting a shirt and trousers at Namjoon’s chest.

“You wore a suit to your first date with Jinyoung, but he still ended up marrying a clown,” Yoongi had chuckled dryly.

Seokjin had shot a look around and started to ramble off at lightning speed about what Yoongi was currently wearing – some rather old, baggy looking pyjamas – as Namjoon had huffed and gone up for his shower. Now, he stood in front of his full-length mirror, grimacing at himself. The navy trousers were slightly tight but looked alright compared to the slightly tighter shirt. He grumbled in despair at the sight of his broad chest pulling at the buttons, feeling like Superman in one of Lois Lane’s blouses. He couldn’t walk properly as the trousers squeezed around his hips so he sort of shuffled down the hall and into the living room.

“Oh Namjoon…” Jaebum’s voice came from a speaker.

Yoongi held up his tablet proudly so that Jaebum could see the full outfit, as Yoongi spat out a laugh and Seokjin clapped his hands. The iPad screen shook so much from Yoongi’s laughter that Namjoon couldn’t quite pinpoint where Jaebum was through the pixels but mumbled a little greeting nevertheless.

“The shirt is a little sexy but what’s too sexy in a museum, right?” Seokjin grinned, before the door buzzer sounded and he swam off to open the door.

Namjoon turned over his shoulder in confusion, panic running through him, Kyonnie mewing and nuzzling at his legs. His pretty white fur began to stick unknowingly to Namjoon’s trousers. He couldn’t even ask what was going on before Seokjin returned, followed by an excitable Hoseok, still in his sweat from the gym, and a smiling Jimin, in a pale yellow, soft looking matching tracksuit. Jimin held up his two, pink kit boxes and smiled excitedly. Everyone seemed to open their mouths at the same time.

“Where should I set up?!”

“I called Jimin, you needed a makeup artist pronto.”

“You look like a pufferfish caught in a tiny net!”

“Jaebum, baby, I wish you could see this chaos in person.”

“He looks like he’s gonna pass out!”

There was then a silence, and Namjoon huffed quietly.

“But I’m wearing moisturiser, that’s all I need,” the lifeguard tried, but Seokjin grappled him by the shoulders and ushered him into the kitchen, where Jimin was already setting up.

Twenty minutes later, leg bobbing from the worry of being late and not getting to the museum on time to meet Taehyung, Namjoon’s rather quick makeover was complete. Jimin’s hands had held the brushes like magic wands as he worked away like a fairy, giggling and chattering to Seokjin, as the hyung mercilessly forced a couple of diamond studs into Namjoon’s ears. By the time the lifeguard saw himself, all he could do was force a smile and admit defeat.

His skin looked overly glossy and shiny like a magazine, and under Jimin’s instruction, he was no longer allowed to touch his face. His eyes had been smoked out with a strange, reddy-orange colour that was supposed to make his irises pop, his eyebrows combed through and a sticky layer of tint sat on his lips. He didn’t look like himself, he felt like a child at a party who’d been let loose with face paints. The shirt was beginning to feel uncomfortable and his earlobes began to itch, his feet were used to large sandals or sliders from work but were now strapped into a pair of Seokjin’s outrageously shiny dress shoes, and as they pushed him out the door with only his wallet and phone, Namjoon began to regret everything.

If he were a crueller man, and actually had the time to spare, he would have rushed into a public toilet to wash his face, maybe even dropped by a clothing shop to buy a whole new, down to earth, outfit. But he had ten minutes to get to the museum before he would look late, and rude, and he wanted to get there to meet Taehyung in enough time. He sat in the cab, staring at his watch, ignoring the way that the driver kept glancing in his mirror to stare at him, wishing for the city traffic to die down enough that he could get to the museum on time, and somehow, thankfully, it did.

Taehyung was already there and waiting as Namjoon jogged – shuffled – over to the entrance of the museum. The sky had turned dark and the museum lights poured into the night, making the copper haired boy look just perfect. There he was, in a floral shirt buttoned, a navy coloured tie fastened closely at the collar, with a red Gucci snake slithering around it. His trousers were smart but looked comfortable, the opposite of Namjoon’s, baggy but a check print, with a pair of black mules on his feet. He looked over to Namjoon and yet kept searching, as if he was looking for someone else, expecting someone else, and he was. Taehyung was waiting for a tall, soft looking lifeguard and had to double take when he realised Namjoon was in fact, in front of him.

But then Taehyung smiled, and it was breath-taking, and their hands lingered as they shook hands.

“I didn’t recognise you, Namjoon-ssi, you look…” Taehyung hesitated, glancing his cinnamon eyes over Namjoon’s being.

Namjoon snorted and finished the sentence for him.

“My friends thought they’d play dress up,” he sighed, “I don’t normally dress like this, I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry! You look cute, and handsome!” Taehyung smiled happily.

The younger hooked his arm around the lifeguard’s and smiled up at him dazzlingly. He ushered Namjoon inside, asking him with hopeful eyes if he could call him hyung, and at the answer, Taehyung smiled even brighter and skipped a little under the museum doors. Then, he just simply wouldn’t, or couldn’t, stop talking. He told Namjoon about how he loved art, loved museums, and so loved the two combined. He told his hyung about how often he came to the exhibitions here, how he and Jungkook once played hide and seek here, but Jungkook kept finding him too easily.

And Namjoon loved it, Taehyung was more interesting then any of the staff or guides.

He wasn’t quite sure how much of the younger’s commentary was fact or fiction, especially when he claimed that Van Gough was reincarnated into his childhood hamster that was born without an ear, but Namjoon loved it. His feet hurt and he skidded along the shiny, wooden floor, his hips were starting to go numb from the trousers and every button down his chest was threatening to break free at any moment, but aslong as Taehyung kept talking about stippling with oil paints it was okay.

He thought.

The room they were in was quite busy, the museum was rather busy as it was a Saturday night, and Taehyung was pulling him through the crowds to show him a particular abstract piece that reminded him of a pineapple kissing a pear, when Namjoon heard his shirt stretch from somewhere. He had gulped, played it off coolly, looked at the colourful painting that looked more like a collection of shapes rather than fruit making out, and then laughed at something Taehyung had said.

But he didn’t just laugh, he threw his head back, one hand hovering over his mouth to hide his embarrassment, his body shuddering from the hilarity of the comment. Taehyung smiled until he watched two buttons pop and fly across the room, revealing Namjoon’s chest to the entire room. He immediately pushed his body against Namjoon’s as his first reaction, not wanting the older male to be embarrassed, because frankly, he had looked damn near uncomfortable all night.

Namjoon’s nose grazed Taehyung’s forehead and he immediately blushed in shock and surprise. One minute he had been laughing, the next they were pushed up against each other like sardines and it made Namjoon’s cheeks, ears and neck flush bright red.

“Your buttons popped off your shirt,” Taehyung spoke quickly as he gazed up at Namjoon’s face.

The lifeguard had no time to react before Taehyung reached for a museum handbook and pushed it against Namjoon’s chest in an attempt to cover the damage, a poor attempt, and Namjoon clutched it against him as he followed Taehyung from the busy room with rosy, ashamed cheeks. He was ready to run home and lock himself in his bedroom and not come out until Lunar New Year. But Taehyung just kept smiling, chattering to distract him, holding his arm in such a sweet, friendly manner. The copper haired boy made his hyung sit on an empty bench underneath a Monet and rushed off.

“Stay there, don’t move! I’ll be back!”

Taehyung had promised as he jogged across the room and out of a door. Namjoon’s head hung low as he looked down at himself. Even Taehyung could tell that this wasn’t Namjoon’s traditional style, crowning the moment as the most embarrassing factor of this whole charade. That, and the fact that even though he was here with Taehyung, he kept thinking about Jungkook. There was a thin layer of guilt because he felt bad he was here with Jungkook’s boyfriend, but Taehyung talked so sweetly about him it made Namjoon’s heart flutter like a butterfly trapped in a glass. Maybe it wasn’t Taehyung that caused the petals…but Jungkook?

But then Taehyung reappeared, skidding unsteadily across the floor holding a large, paper bag from the souvenir shop. Namjoon rose an eyebrow in confusion but Taehyung simply smiled and took one of his hands, before ushering him off once more. Suddenly, they were stood in the men’s toilet. The copper haired boy said nothing, simply smiled mischievously, pushing Namjoon into one of the stalls with the paper bag. The movement caused another button of the shirt to pop and Namjoon gave a groan before opening the bag, and then his heart melted.

If Jungkook caused Namjoon’s heart to flutter, then Taehyung caused it to melt like butter.

Taehyung stood by the sink patiently, twiddling his thumbs and glancing around the toilet block until he heard the stall lock slide across. He bit onto his bottom lip in excitement as Namjoon emerged, dress shirt stuffed lazily into the paper bag, a large, cream sweatshirt covering his torso, adorned with ‘A Starry Night’ over the chest. And then Namjoon met Taehyung’s smile.

Namjoon was about to thank him when Taehyung stepped forward and carefully removed the stud earrings from his hyungs ears, both of them wincing at how red and sore the lobes looked. His artistic hands ruffled through the other’s hair, on tiptoe to reach, and made Namjoon’s hair look like it did at the pool, soft and fluffy. Namjoon’s cheeks flushed a soft, happy pink when Taehyung stepped away and the lifeguard saw himself in the mirror, _himself_ , and suddenly the date just felt right.

➹➹➹

“I studied at SNU!” Taehyung slurps a long, long slurp of black noodles, “And majored in Art History. While I was there, I worked at the odd café, wherever I could get shifts, and then my lecturer recommended me for a job at this antiques place, and I’ve been there for around six months now!”

Namjoon smiled and listened. He had a million questions, not only for the purpose of getting to know Taehyung, but to just keep him talking and talking because he’d never heard such a brilliant sound.

“Oh! I was also voted the best dresser in my class! I used to save up all my money to buy clothes, and I had so many that while in my uni dorm, the bar in my wardrobe snapped and I had to pay for them to replace it!”

So far, Namjoon had learned a hell of a lot about Taehyung in such a short space of time. He knew that he was two years older than him, that the boy loved art, and talking, was originally from Daegu and misses the food as much as his family. He’s ambidextrous, enjoys looking at leaves and flowers, and being outside in general, but also looking at art. He believes in both ghosts and aliens, is an ace at mastering video games although can be a sore loser, is a Capricorn, and can also memorise things in a short space of time. He dabbled with musical instruments, acting, modelling and creating his own clothes at university.

“Oh! And I love horror films! Me and Jungkook like to sit in the dark and watch them, then stay up all night telling each other scary stories!”

The most important thing that Namjoon has learnt about Taehyung is that he’s so madly in love with Jungkook. They apparently met at the university library, after Jungkook had peered over Taehyung’s shoulder to see the boy drowning some sims in a swimming pool. They could never really afford expensive dates due to their finances – Namjoon could relate – and so spent months simply making picnics, going to the arcade or simply wandering around the city until the moon hung high in the sky. They lived together in a tiny flat that they had spent years saving for, and probably ate too much takeout food then they should.

And then, Namjoon could imagine them both, sat on a comfy rug, in front of a small laptop screen playing anime, feeding each other fried chicken wings or scoops of rice. Just being happy, in love, comfortable.

After Namjoon and Taehyung had shared a meal at a Thai place that Taehyung was obsessed with, he also had a passion for finding new cafes and restaurants, they had walked a little while to a bus stop. It was the first time that Taehyung had been quiet all night. He rocked onto the balls of his feet and back down, his hands hovering behind him, then in front, and Namjoon knew it was his turn to do the speaking.

“It’s been a really great night, Taehyung. I loved the museum, and listening to you talk about the paintings, and hearing what you think about colours and composition. I loved the Thai place, it was so loud and bustling and the food was great…you were great, it’s been a really great night with you, thank you,” Namjoon looked down at himself and then realised, “And thanks for saving my ass back there with the sweater! I should pay you back, how much was it?!”

Namjoon fumbled to get his wallet from the blasted pocket of his trousers but Taehyung’s hand reached out and stopped him, a small smile on his face, eyes sparkly.

“It’s a present. I’ve really loved tonight too, hyung, I can’t wait to go back to Gukkie and tell him what he has in store,” Taehyung finished with a strange tone and Namjoon knew the reason why.

The lifeguard’s lips opened once, then twice, his words forming in his head, before he held onto Taehyung’s cold hand in his. He spoke slowly and carefully.

“I’m not sure yet, who it is, Taehyung…but it’ll be okay, right? So don’t worry.”

Taehyung smiled at this and nodded, when the large bus rolled along and hovered at the bus stop. The copper haired boy leaned up and pushed a soft kiss into Namjoon’s dimple before skipping off onto the bus, looking back just once to wave before disappearing with the other passengers. Namjoon didn’t quite see where Taehyung had sat, if he’d got a seat, but he stood and waited until the bus had driven off into the night before he turned to walk home himself, a smile over his face.

➹➹➹

Jimin had left a handwritten note on Namjoon’s desk. The lifeguard had expected a house full demanding answers once he arrived home, but all was quiet. He had dumped Seokjin’s shoes by the door and traded them for some comfy slippers, made himself a hot chocolate before creeping down the hall to his bedroom. From behind Yoongi’s bedroom door he could hear quiet conversation and faint laughter through Facetime, and smiled to himself at his favourite couple, before finding Kyon curled up in a space between the pillow and his parted duvet, snoozing peacefully.

Hope your date went well, Joonie! We’re all rooting for you! Jin Hyung left because he got too hungry waiting and we left because Hobi-jagi was sleepy. Tell us how it went asap! Jiminie. 😊 x

Namjoon smiled to himself, sipped from his hot chocolate and changed into some comfortable pyjamas, making sure to hang the Van Gough sweater on a hanger carefully. He slipped into his big bed next to Kyon, who mewed and buried his face into Namjoon’s warm side. The lifeguard reached lazily for a novel that he had been reading and yet his eyes kept wandering across to the sweater, hanging on the wardrobe door, and couldn’t stop himself from smiling. Taehyung’s sweet voice still rang inside of his head, but his heart was still fluttering.

Taehyung had gone home to Jungkook, probably taken hold of his cheeks to kiss him softly before telling him about the date, both of them curled onto the sofa, in jokes, soft kisses, trailing fingertips. Taehyung was such a beautiful, amazing little alien of a human, but Namjoon couldn’t get Jungkook from his mind, and before his throat began to itch the lifeguard let out a sigh of relief.

It was Jungkook all along that had entranced him, and caused the petals.

➹➹➹

It felt like another long week as Namjoon slowly waited for Saturday night to come. His shifts dragged on, nights seemed longer. Luckily, Jaebum arrived back in Seoul on the Friday, so the group – _Yoongi_ – was much more interested in that then Namjoon’s second date. His best friend had finally left their apartment and in his absence Namjoon had taken it upon himself to rid Yoongi’s bedroom of dirty plates and wash whatever clothing he found on his floor. He wasn’t normally particularly messy, but if he went too long without Jaebum smooches it reduced him into a homeless cat kind of state.

He had arranged to meet with Jungkook on the Saturday afternoon, and he didn’t know if it was a clue towards the date, or simply because of what Taehyung had told him, but he was advised to wear comfy clothes.

Namjoon had sighed in relief, because it meant if his friends wanted to get involved again, he had written proof that he didn’t need to dress up so smart.

Kyonnie, abandoned by his cat Father, was curled up on Namjoon’s bed once more, soft ocean sounds echoing through the room, his tail flickering as he watched the lifeguard. Shower fresh and smelling of mint, combed but soft hair, and a moisturised face, Namjoon stood with just a towel around his waist as he glanced around his wardrobe, trying to figure out just what he should wear. Just because the dress code was comfy, it didn’t mean he didn’t want to give Jungkook the wrong impression. A wind rattled past his bedroom window, as if to give him an idea, and he smiled before pulling the clothes from his closet. He kissed Kyon’s head once, fussed his cheeks and hauled a small backpack over his shoulders before setting from the house.

Baggy, denim blue jeans with patches over the knees, a soft t-shirt, a warm coat with an Aztec pattern that Yoongi _always_ teased, some comfy but hopefully smart looking trainers, a dark beanie and matching scarf tucked into his backpack in case it turned too cold, and most importantly the art sweater Taehyung had gifted him.

As it hung proudly on the wardrobe door, it didn’t feel right to Namjoon to leave it behind.

Namjoon took a taxi most of the way to the Hann River, where Jungkook had told him to meet him, and then walked the rest of the way until he finally spotted a young man, dressed all in black, leaning against a wall with two bikes beside him. And that was it, Namjoon’s heart began to flutter, as he thought it would, and he smiled a bashful smile as Jungkook looked up and waved him over. The sky was a little cloudy but didn’t threaten any rain but didn’t offer sunshine either, and Jungkook’s skin looked so creamy in the daylight.

He stepped away from the wall, black cargo trousers, a dark coloured, check shirt and a black, heavy looking denim jacket coat. His hair was wavy and unruly, and had he not been smiling with pearly white teeth at Namjoon, the tall male would have looked somewhat intimidating. They met and stood a metre away from each other, Jungkook’s hands slipping into his pockets as he looked up to the lifeguard. Namjoon swallowed and smiled back, knowing he was probably blushing. Up close, Jungkook was taller than Taehyung yet not as tall as himself.

Of all his friends, it was only Seokjin who was almost as tall as him.

“May I call you hyung?” Jungkook spoke off the bat, and with a nod from Namjoon, smirked, “Hyung, you come with very good reviews. Taehyungie can’t stop gushing about you.”

Namjoon couldn’t help but smile, and probably blush more, he’d had so much fun with Taehyung on their date. But he’d looked forward to this one just that little bit more. Jungkook hovered for a moment before pointing towards the two bikes with a hopeful smile.

“Do you like riding? I got us a couple of bikes, but if you’re not up for it I can return them and we could just walk and talk or something,” Jungkook started to trail off, looking down at the bikes rather than Namjoon.

The lifeguard smirked. He’d seen enough of he and Taehyung’s behaviour in the pool. He quickly reached for the closest bike and jumped on top of it, causing Jungkook to look at him in surprise. Namjoon rang the little bell and laughed.

“Race you to the bridge!”

And with that Namjoon peddled quickly, looking forward as he dodged runners along the footpath. This had the makings of a perfect date. Namjoon loved being outdoors, loved the smell of the river, the sound of the birds, the feel of the breeze against his face as he cycled. He had cycled along the river plenty of times, day and night. He began to wonder whether Jungkook had caught up to him or not, but as he looked over his shoulder a dark mirage whisked by, like a demon, and Jungkook was in front of him, laughing and looking back at him with a grin.

They raced like that for a while, overtaking the other, laughing, catching up to the other until the next bridge came into view. Namjoon was feeling a little out of breath he had to admit and felt happy to simply pedal lazily and watch Jungkook in front, the way the daring boy would take his hands from the handles and hold his arms out, balancing perfectly. Both bikes came to a screeching break on the other side of the bridge and Jungkook sent him a pout.

“You let me win, I can tell.”

Namjoon gave a laugh, and then realised that maybe the reason Taehyung laughed so much was because of Jungkook.

“Isn’t that simply date etiquette?” Namjoon chuckled.

Jungkook laughed and shook his head, and they set off again, slower this time, so that they could talk. Jungkook didn’t talk half as much as Taehyung did, but he still entertained Namjoon. They didn’t brace any serious topics at all, made comments about their surroundings instead, like the river and the city on the other side of it. They slalomed through the gaggles of tourists, laughing at the mixture of accents and languages that came from them.

“I visited America a few years ago, family vacation,” Jungkook spoke coolly, pedalling slowly, “Los Angeles. The beaches are incredible, and I’m from Busan, so I’m biased.”

They both laughed at that and Namjoon glanced sideward, clocking the small smile on Jungkook’s face.

“Do you like travelling? Is there a particular place that you want to go to?”

Jungkook’s head tilted to the left for a moment, then to the right, his eyes glancing around in thought, before he looked over to Namjoon.

“Answer your own question as I think!” he chuckled.

“Well, I’ve always wanted to go to Europe, I’d love to see Amsterdam, Copenhagen, in Denmark they have this thing called hygge, and it’s all about relaxing in a selected group of friends. You all eat good food, sit by candlelight and read together, tell stories. I’ve always wanted to try that,” Namjoon could hear himself rambling off but he couldn’t stop himself.

He continued to look ahead of himself, at the riverside path, careful to avoid pedestrians and dogs on leads, but he could tell Jungkook was looking at him. He could feel those dark, sparkly eyes staring deep into his soul and he didn’t quite know what to do with himself but blush.

“That’s a cool answer…I like it. I could do hot or cold, aslong as there’s activities. I’ve always wanted to try skiing and snowboarding, but surfing is really fun! I’d love to go surfing again. I’d really like to take a year or two to travel and see things…” Jungkook spoke coolly once more, everything he said was cool.

“This is the best that my balance gets,” Namjoon laughed, his bike wobbling a little in true ironic form, “I’d try all of those, but I don’t think I’d be very good. Two feet are hard enough to control.”

“Well, that’s okay because you can sit and read by the fire, Taehyungie can make snowmen and I can snowboard,” Jungkook chuckled.

Jungkook had been studying graphics and animation at university when he’d come across Taehyung – Namjoon loved hearing the library story from Jungkook’s point of view – he drew a lot. Even when he wasn’t thinking about it, he ended up with a pen in his hand and paper in the end. He wanted to go into video game development, but at the moment he was working at an arcade as he tried to apply for his dream job. He loved to be active and sporty, loved competition, loved winning just that little bit more, but also enjoyed cosying in bed to play games or watch Studio Ghibli.

Namjoon found out that Jungkook enjoyed photography because suddenly, the younger had stopped pedalling, pulled over by the wall and whipped a film camera out of nowhere. He’d then stated the obvious – _“Sorry, hyung, but I love taking photos and the birds were flying over the bridge so nicely just then!”_ – and even taken a couple of shots of Namjoon, much to the hyung’s disapproval. He had playfully told him not to waste his precious film on him, but watched as Jungkook aimed the camera back out, across the river, his face so serene and concentrated as he collected his photos.

“Taehyung helps me develop them. Sometimes we’ll both go out and spend the whole day filming, or taking photos,” Jungkook chuckled, putting the camera away carefully, “We have a lot of albums at home.”

That was the thing Namjoon learnt most about Jungkook, he loved Taehyung with all his heart. Every remark, story and joke somehow lead back to his boyfriend, no matter how out there or diverse. From what Namjoon could gather, they seemed to spend as much time together as they could, never growing bored of the other, and the lifeguard admired that.

All week he had waited for this moment, his date with Jungkook, and as the two stood, bikes leant across the wall, looking out at the falling sun behind Seoul, Namjoon was confused. He thought that it was Jungkook for sure after his date with Taehyung, but his heart was saying otherwise. Even if Jungkook hadn’t once mentioned him, Namjoon’s mind still would have floated back to the copper haired boy, the way he grinned, retold the same stories, laughed loudly. Even now, as Jungkook’s beautiful jawline slowly turned toward Namjoon, and the lifeguard could see the glow of the sun in his eyes, he imagined Taehyung’s little head popping out from behind Jungkook, smiling and asking Namjoon what zodiac sign he thought the sun would be.

Jungkook interrupted Namjoon’s thoughts as he leaned across, his fingertips hovering ever so close to his cheek before pulling back. The lifeguard released a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding onto. Jungkook smiled and held a tiny eyelash out for his hyung to make a wish upon, but as the river breeze rustled through the younger’s hair, Namjoon became a little speechless. He gently nudged Jungkook’s hand to his own lips.

“You take this one, and owe me a wish,” he smiled.

So Jungkook did. He grinned ever so cutely, before his nose twitched and wriggled around, the boy thinking ever so deeply before his eyes squeezed shut, and in that moment, he looked his actual age. Then all of a sudden, he blew and the eyelash was gone to the breeze, leaving the two men stood by the river once more.

“Here’s hoping…” Jungkook whispered so quietly that Namjoon almost didn’t hear it, and so didn’t think to reply.

They hopped back on their bikes, riding lazily once more until they reached where they had met under a night sky. Namjoon walked with Jungkook to help return the hired bikes, insisting on paying for his own atleast, but the younger refused with a confident smile.

“You got to let me win, I get to pay for you,” he’d laughed.

They walked slowly back to the car park, which was where Jungkook’s car was parked, and even though the younger insisted that he could drive Namjoon back home, the hyung was happy to take the bus. He didn’t want Jungkook driving all over the city when Taehyung was waiting at home for him, because that’s what Namjoon had to remember, they were still together. Just because he was unsure of who he liked, it didn’t mean the one that he did would break up with the other for him, and the lifeguard didn’t want that anyway, they both seemed so cute and happy and settled.

They thanked each other for a great date, implored how great a time that they’d both had with the other. Jungkook turned to unlock his car, then paused, glancing back to Namjoon. The same look that had fallen over Taehyung’s face at the bus stop passed over Jungkook’s face and the lifeguard felt a little nauseous – once at the sight of it, but twice at the remembrance of Taehyung’s own expression flickering in his mind.

“Taehyung said that you weren’t sure about…everything. I just want you to know, neither of us are expecting some big decision, things like this don’t have deadlines. It’s new and different but, just follow your heart, okay?” Jungkook spoke determinedly.

And like that he was gone. Namjoon couldn’t offer a word or sentence because the maknae was driving off into the sunset like a bat out of hell. And the lifeguard was stood alone, hands by his sides, both feeling empty, Jungkook’s license plate disappearing into the night just like the bus had. He pulled his hand to his chest numbly, curious, needing to know, but when he splayed his palm across his chest to feel his heartbeat, it was neither fluttering, nor melting.

It was both.

➹➹➹

The tables had turned within Yoongi and Namjoon’s flat.

Both the outside and indoor pools had to be drained, cleaned and refilled, meaning the lifeguard had scored the week off work. Yoongi had finally gotten a big break with a job interview and was now working at a fancy hotel, playing the piano for guests in the lobby and restaurant. It was now Yoongi who would come home with arms full of fresh pork and vegetables to cook, and Namjoon who would haul himself from the sofa to shuffle into the kitchen and wait to be fed.

He hadn’t reached out to Taehyung or Jungkook, even at 3am when he hadn’t slept after hours of writing crazed, handwritten poetry that neither he nor Yoongi could make out in the morning. They hadn’t reached out to him either; it felt like a stalemate. Neither wanted to say the first thing and be in the wrong position to, and so it was radio silence.

One night, Namjoon had a dream about he and Taehyung dancing through the empty art museum corridors. He twirled the boy under his arm, pulled him close, close enough for their lips to brush but then the younger giggled and fell backward into a large painting. Taehyung pushed his arm through the painting, his skin covered in beautiful stippled paint marks in all colours, but Namjoon couldn’t move his arms to take it, struggled to move but he was frozen to the floor and woke up in such a bolt that Kyonnie leapt from the bed and hid underneath it.

It took him half an hour to coax the kitty out and apologise with some fresh cod for breakfast.

A few nights followed and he had another dream, this time centred around Jungkook. Namjoon was cleaning the changing rooms at the pool – _a job he had never had to do_ – when the dark-haired male had appeared from nowhere and smiled. And then Namjoon was following after him, trying to find him, calling his name until he stumbled into the shower block and there Jungkook was, fully clothed, and yet under one of the showers. But he wasn’t wet, and just as Taehyung had, he’d reached out for Namjoon to join him. But the shower door had swung shut and no matter how hard the lifeguard banged and kicked against it, it wouldn’t open.

“You’ve been sleep talking,” Min Yoongi suddenly announced one morning as he barged into Namjoon’s bedroom.

Sounds of music, humming and food being prepared in the kitchen signalled that Jaebum was here, and yet Yoongi was stood arms folded at the edge of Joon’s bed, expecting an explanation. Namjoon rubbed at his eyes and huffed, his bare skin cold from the air in his bedroom compared to the lush warmth of his bedding.

“Come and eat something,” Yoongi spoke again before disappearing, Kyonnie following at his heels.

Namjoon plodded into the kitchen ten minutes later, dressed in warm, fluffy pyjamas. He sunk down onto one of the chairs at the tiny dining table and yawned loudly, only for a bowl of warm, steaming breakfast rice to be in front of him once his eyes reopened. He thanked them both sleepily, and as he raised a large scoop into his mouth Min Yoongi appeared in front of him again, making the male drop his rice.

“Yoongs…” Namjoon groaned, picking at what had fallen down his front.

A warm, chaste kiss was pressed against his forehead and Namjoon looked up at Jaebum’s smiling face.

“What’s wrong, Joonie? Talk to us, or me, we can ignore Yoongles,” Jaebum coaxed with a grin, sitting opposite him with his own bowl.

Yoongi gave a huff and yet sat on his boyfriend’s lap nevertheless, to which Jaebum didn’t even blink, and simply wrapped his arm around his middle as they both ate and awaited Namjoon’s response. Kyonnie even began to rub himself against Namjoon’s leg, encouraging him to voice his thoughts, and the lifeguard gave a huff and gave in.

“I brought up petals.”

Yoongi gave a choke. Namjoon then realised that he had never told anyone else about the petals, just that he had a couple of dates with some cute boys and sank in his chair a little. Jaebum patted Yoongi’s back carefully, his brow furrowed, before looking over to Namjoon with worry in his dark eyes.

“You brought up petals?! Yoongi! Why didn’t you tell me it was that serious?”

“I didn’t know! Why didn’t you tell anyone that, you stupid walnut?!”

“It’s embarrassing, that’s why!” Namjoon sighed before meeting Jaebum’s eyes, “I met these two guys, they’re so gorgeous and funny but they’re a couple, when they told me I brought up all these yellow petals in front of them. They said that I should go on a date with each one, to see who it is that I like, who caused the petals, but I don’t know. I don’t know which one it is.”

The couple’s facial features softened at Namjoon’s admission. Yoongi even looked away at his bowl, poking at it with chopsticks, Jaebum too paused his meal.

“Take Taehyung! He dresses so uniquely, and he chats so much, whatever he talks about is always so interesting and I love to listen to him. He loves art, and people, and eating and when my stupid shirt buttons popped open during the date, he brought me the cosiest sweater and just smiled as if he preferred to see me dressed like that rather than all dressed up…but Jungkook? Jungkook is so quietly confident. He’s sure of himself, he loves a challenge, loves sports, loves winning and he knows it. But he’s also sweet and funny, he takes photos and he really listens and looks forward to your answer rather than his own…and they both talk so highly of each other…I’m at a loss. I can’t choose, and even if I do, I don’t want them to break up, I don’t want to hurt either one of them!”

Namjoon silenced himself by shovelling a large piece of bacon into his mouth, followed by egg and rice, anything to stop him from talking anymore about it. They were all quiet, the only sound in the kitchen apart from the lifeguards eager chewing, before Yoongi let out a laugh. His shoulders began to shake, his mouth twisting into a gummy smile and at the sight, and sound, of it, Jaebum followed suit. The lifeguard just watched them both, his brow raised in confusion, listening to their contented laughter. Jaebum finally collected himself enough to look Namjoon in the eye with a warm smile, reaching his hand across the table to pet his wrist caringly.

“Namjoon-ah, don’t you see? You like them _both_. It’s not one, or the other, you like them both as a package. Did you constantly think about Taehyung while you were with Jungkook, and vice versa?” he spoke confidently.

Namjoon’s chin wobbled, his lips parting as he listened to the artist, a slight frown on his face before he admitted the truth.

“Yes, non-stop…”

Jaebum patted his wrist once more with a happy smile.

“You’re in love with them both, and if they’re willing to each date you, I don’t think it’s as unrequited as you think,” he finished.

“When was the last time you brought up petals?” Yoongi asked curiously.

And he had a point, damn him, because the last time had been almost three weeks ago. Namjoon had put it down to possibly just being with the couple, and that it was when they touched or kissed, the petals in his throat felt aggravated enough to itch or spill from him. But the couple opposite him were right, it was the petals that he’d brought up in the café that had been the last bout. Throughout both dates, and even this rollercoaster week, they had never affected him, he’d almost forgot about the actual petals.

The chair scraped across the floor as Namjoon found his feet, quickly finishing his rice and pouring it into his mouth before rushing off to his bedroom.

“I need to go, thanks for breakfast!” he called loudly through the flat before skidding into his bedroom.

“Wear a coat, it’s cold!”

“Stay hydrated!”

Yoongi and Jaebum both glanced to the free chair at the table, but the male shrugged a little and wriggled to make himself comfier against his love. Jaebum looked unphased and continued eating, allowing Kyonnie to hop onto the chair and look at them both expectantly.

➹➹➹

Namjoon felt as if he had been stood there for hours. The wind was cold – he hadn’t listened to Yoongi and neglected to bring a coat – and he rubbed at his arms through his clothes for warmth. He looked around himself, trying to catch a glimpse of black or copper hair, a boy dressed all in black walking with a boy dressed in anything but. He didn’t want to look at his phone or his watch at the risk he might not see Jungkook or Taehyung approaching, if they were.

They said that they would meet him here, but they could have changed their minds; what would Namjoon do if only one of them showed up? He shivered again as his mind ran rampant with thoughts of them both at home, arguing with each other about the mess Namjoon had caused in their relationship. The lifeguard groaned and rubbed at his head. A voice in his mind told him to admit defeat, especially when he finally glanced to his watch and saw it was quarter past.

If they were going to show up, they would have been there by now.

He gave a sigh, rubbed his cold hands across his face and turned to walk back to the bus stop. There came a time when you had to throw in the towel, and Namjoon felt like this was that time. His heart, neither fluttering nor melting, just felt heavy as it sluggishly bumped against his ribcage. He shoved his hands into his pockets and took a few steps, when he heard his name being called.

“Namjoon!”

The male had never span around so quick, a smile plastered on his face and his chest suddenly feeling warm until he realised it was Seokjin walking over to him. His heart sank once more.

“Aish, why do you look so disappointed at seeing your hyung?! I just spotted you and was going to ask if you wanted to go for some food,” Seokjin paused, “Is that new?”

His hyung brushed one of the shoulders of Namjoon’s sweater as he looked over it. Namjoon looked down at it, all the pretty blue and yellow colours in the centre, the Starry Night sweater. He nodded a little.

“Y-yeah, a friend got it for me. I’m too tired for food, but thanks, hyung. It was good to see you,” Namjoon forced a smile, thinking that Seokjin would see right through it.

“Another time then, Joon-ah,” a car horn echoed from somewhere and they both looked across to see Jinyoung hanging out the side of Seokjin’s car, “There’s my ride!”

And off Seokjin tottered, getting in and immediately having a too loud conversation about whether his husband had adjusted his mirrors at all. The car drove off and Namjoon felt simply deflated, until he saw the copper haired boy who was hunched over, breathing and catching his breath as if his life depended on it, a weak hand waving to Namjoon.

Taehyung, but only Taehyung.

Namjoon immediately jogged over and rubbed the males back even though his soul felt heavy. If Taehyung had come alone then it meant Jungkook didn’t want to come. Was this it? The end of Tae and Kook, the end of himself and the dark-haired male? His soul grieved already as Taehyung stood back up, his face tired, his hand holding onto Namjoon’s arm. The male mumbled something between raspy breaths and Namjoon realised that Taehyung must have ran to the spot.

“J-jeez, I’m so sorry, Tae, I didn’t want to come between you both, if Jungkook couldn’t come t-then,”

Another wheezy sentence came from Taehyung, and Namjoon paused his ramble, looking over Taehyung’s face.

“He’s coming, hyung,” another long breath, “I ran ahead, and he stayed back to sort the parking.”

And Namjoon gave the brightest smile and couldn’t help but sigh in relief. Taehyung caught his breath and brushed himself down, his long, knee-length tan coloured coat looked warm and cosy against his striped jumper and denim dungaree combo. He looked over Namjoon’s face, his sweet lips opening and closing as if he too had something he wanted to say but the sound of running footsteps echoed behind them and suddenly Jungkook was inbetween them, dressed all in black except for the neon green beanie atop of his head, his black waves sticking out from under it.

“What I miss?” Jungkook asked without a trace of evidence of the sprint he’d broke into to get here, which made Taehyung look at him in pout.

“Hyungie thought you hadn’t come and got worried, JJ,” Taehyung spoke, his voice still sounding tired from his own exertions.

“Of course I’d come,” Jungkook implored, turning to look Namjoon in the eye, “We’ll always come if you need us.”

Namjoon couldn’t help the dorky smile that spread across his face, before he nodded to the building he was stood in front of.

“Good, because I’m taking you both on a date. You guys ever been here before?” Namjoon smiled excitedly.

Taehyung and Jungkook looked at each other with sweet smiles before glancing back to Joon to shake their heads. Namjoon smiled and ushered them inside, watching as their faces lit up in excitement. It was one of those indoor crazy golf courses, with jungle trees and UV paint. Namjoon had found it while third wheeling Jimin and Hoseok on one of their dates, and it had been a hit. Namjoon watched as his boys looked around excitedly, and as he paid for the three of them at the counter and passed them their clubs, they headed down the stairs to the first hole.

But before Namjoon could reach the bottom step, two warm hands had slipped between his own, and the lifeguard had never felt luckier in his life.

➹➹➹


End file.
